Core 77 Cartoons

I couldn’t resist reposting this from Core 77′s CoreToon series. I’m sure you can guess why I was drawn to it!

Top 10

Where we were this week…

1. PSFK for the post on the zero-energy E-Cube.

2. The Atlantic for their fascinating piece on Ladislav Sutnar – one of those designers you haven’t heard of but really should. Sutnar was a pioneer of information design and his work designing catalogs is seen as a precursor of web design.

3. Mashable’s story on Google+ because I am still trying to get my head around it. Looks like it will be better than Facebook but it feels underpopulated right now.

4. A/N Blog for reminding me that it is Philip Johnson’s birthday today…and for their story on his Peace Chapel which was finished after his death in 2005.

5. Metropolis Magazine for tipping us off to the cool-looking doco on design thinking.

6. Unconsumption blog for its simple iPhone holder. Drink up my friends.

7. Cool Hunting for their iPad2 case round-up.

8. French By Design for inspirational interiors.

9. Dezeen had a great story on Ariane Prin’s pencil factory – perfect pencils for your home office.

10. Core 77 will broadcast their design awards live next week from all over the globe. Not sure how it will work but it’s definitely worth checking out.

A Love Letter: Eames Powers of 10 Video Winners

Core 77, the Eames Office and Herman Miller announced the jury winner for the Eames Powers of 10 Video competition today. Entrants were asked to create a 2-minute video response to Charles and Ray Eames’ seminal film, Powers of Ten. The winner’s video, created by the team at Idea Garden Media, is a funny take on the iconic film. You can check out the winning entry here. Also don’t miss the community prize winner’s film “Dreams of Eames” by LA-based Dave Douglass – it’s also very good. Congrats to the winners!

Eames Demetrios, who heads up the Eames Office and was one of the jury members said of the winning entry: “Charles Eames often said, ‘Eventually everything connects.’ I don’t know if Idea Garden Media had that idea in mind, but it was nice to see something that began as a low-tech tribute to the Powers of Ten evolve into a reminder that there is a deep inter-relationship between all the different scales. Their entry started as an homage, turned into a love letter and transformed into a celebration of the implications of the underlying idea. Good job.”

Powers of Ten Video Response Design Competition

The Eames Office and Core77 with the support of Herman Miller have launched a design competition to commemorate the Powers of Ten Day (10/10/10). We’re asking designers to make a short “response video” to the Eames’s Powers of Ten film. For more information on how to enter check out Core77′s post on the competition. It’s an exciting opportunity for designers to become part of the Eames narrative and we’re really looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!

High Five

Where we’ve been this week…

1. Gizmodo Great on all things techy. Where to start: Their coverage of the Apple products that were launched this week. Also check here.

2. Swiss Miss I’ve posted about her before but designer Tina Roth Eisenberg’s blog is a joy to wander through. Beautifully designed and well-written. Where to start: Office in the forest post.

3. Core 77 We’ve mentioned them before too but it is worth going there again. This online design magazine has opened an online and bricks and mortar store. Where to start: At the shop of course. Love those Ninja magnets.

4. Rolling Stone Because it is Rolling Stone and it’s online presence is actually very strong. Plus you need a break from work every now and again! Where to start: The behind the scenes shoot on the Mad Men set. Love the pic of the Apple laptop on set.

5. Color Lovers An inspiring look at color. Where to start: The modern muted home office.

High Five

This is the first in our new Friday round-up of top sites. How do we define a top site? It’s a website, blog, online magazine that has caught our attention through images, strong writing, wit, humor or just plain great design. I’m sure you’ll have more to add but let’s start with five and see where we end up.

1. “I’m blogging” | David Airey He’s a graphic designer who creates visual identities for big corporations and little one-person start ups. He’s also smart and funny and his blog is a must-read for anyone trying to understand this weird online world we regularly find ourselves in. Look out for our interview with David next week. Best place to start: Check out his post on design agencies and studios who use Twitter well (and those who don’t).

2. Core 77 I know this wont come as a surprise to most of you. This online design mag has been around since 1995. Under the keen eye of editor-in-chief Allan Chochinov it just keeps getting better. Best place to start: The news sections are excellent but don’t overlook the photo galleries. Funnily enough I didn’t make it to Dutch Design Week last October but Core 77 did and they’ve got the pics to prove it.

3. Modern Tom Andersen and Gina Federico blog from their own modern home in Westchester, New York. While the design of the blog is a little rough around the edges, their obsession with all things modern plus a strong sense of style makes this a fun read. Best place to start: Check out the woodpile studio Piet Hein Eek designed for musician Hans Liberg.

4. Discovering Design OK, full disclaimer – this addition is slightly self-serving in that it is part of Herman Miller’s website. But I’ve seen the stats and I don’t think enough people know about this cool design source. Best place to start: Choose a product or designer and just click. I like George Nelson’s audio files – especially him talking about the origins of the wood slat bench.

5. Design Observer After you’ve looked at lots of pretty pictures it is time to get down to some smart writing and this is the place to be. The site was founded in October 2003 by Michael Bierut, William Drenttel, Jessica Helfand and Rick Poynor with design and technology by Ruby Studio. It’s one of the few places you can still read essays online. Best place to start: An excellent piece by ex-I.D. editor-in-chief Julie Lasky about the demise of that beloved design magazine.

Eames’ Plywood Splint

Yesterday Core 77, a great online design magazine, posted a piece on the Eames‘ WWII-era plywood leg splints. I wonder if there are any contemporary designers working in this area?

When I was in Michigan going through the Herman Miller archives I came across a few original splints. They look like beautiful pieces of sculpture. The splints were designed for the Navy out of moulded plywood. It was the first time that technique had been used by the Eames’, and as any Eames fan knows, it wasn’t the last! Think of those signature molded plywood chairs.

Bill Robinson, who writes about art and design and has written for Herman Miller for over 13 years, received a splint as a wedding present 15 years ago – it hangs proudly on the wall above his couch. A testament to good design. ( You can buy a splint from the Eames Office for $650.)